This invention relates to compounds, methods and kits for the determination of methadone metabolites in samples, such as patient samples, known or suspected to contain such methadone metabolites.
Methadone is used in pain management and in the treatment of opiate addiction, either from naturally-occurring opioids or synthetically produced opioids such as, e.g., heroin. It is necessary to monitor compliance with methadone treatment in order to prevent illegal use of the prescribed medicine. Monitoring methadone concentration is not very reliable as significant portion of patient population has high rate of methadone metabolization, which can result in an incorrect determination regarding the issue of compliance. In addition, non-compliant patients can add methadone to their samples, which can wrongly indicate compliance. Methadone is metabolized primarily into a pharmacologically inactive metabolite 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP) although other metabolites are also formed.
There is a continuing for assays to accurately determine one or both of a presence and an amount of a methadone metabolite in samples suspected of containing the same.